Jonathan McNamara

Jonathan McNamara joined the Observer in 2011. Previously, he worked for Phoenix New Times as the publication’s first web editor. Jonathan holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin where he majored in Multimedia Journalism. As a student, he spent most of his time reporting and editing feature stories, building multimedia packages and writing for the entertainment section of The Daily Texan. His work has also appeared in Spin Magazine, The Japan Times, Kansai Scene Magazine, Impose Magazine, and Houston Press.

Observer Podcast Episode 23: A Mid-Session Look at the Texas LegislatureApr 09, 2013
Our legislative interns Olivia Messer and Liz Farmer join staff writer Patrick Michels, editor Dave Mann and I for a mid-session look at the 83rd Texas Legislature. Full Story
Observer Panel at SXSW Interactive: Survival of the ScrappiestMar 14, 2013
What wisdom could the Observer impart to other nonprofits struggling to keep up the journalistic fight in the age of pay walls and social media? Full Story
An Introduction to The Texas ObserverFeb 28, 2013
An introduction to The Texas Observer from current and former staffers. Video shot and edited by Matt Gossage. Full Story
Observer Podcast Episode 22: Getting a Lege UpFeb 01, 2013
Observer staff writers Patrick Michels, Forrest Wilder and editor Dave Mann join the show for our first podcast about the 83rd Texas Legislature. What’s [...] Full Story
Observer Podcast Episode 21: Capital PunishmentDec 12, 2012
In which discuss Alex Hannaford's recent piece about death row inmate Larry Swearingen then dive straight into the current state of capital punishment in Texas. Full Story

Observer Podcast Episode 23: A Mid-Session Look at the Texas LegislatureApr 09, 2013
Our legislative interns Olivia Messer and Liz Farmer join staff writer Patrick Michels, editor Dave Mann and I for a mid-session look at the 83rd Texas Legislature. Full Story
Observer Panel at SXSW Interactive: Survival of the ScrappiestMar 14, 2013
What wisdom could the Observer impart to other nonprofits struggling to keep up the journalistic fight in the age of pay walls and social media? Full Story
Nonprofit Journalism: Survival of the ScrappiestMar 08, 2013
Nonprofit Journalism: Survival of the Scrappiest. Full Story
An Introduction to The Texas ObserverFeb 28, 2013
An introduction to The Texas Observer from current and former staffers. Video shot and edited by Matt Gossage. Full Story
Observer Podcast Episode 22: Getting a Lege UpFeb 01, 2013
Observer staff writers Patrick Michels, Forrest Wilder and editor Dave Mann join the show for our first podcast about the 83rd Texas Legislature. What’s [...] Full Story

Observer Podcast Episode 18: Texas Voter TurnoutOct 18, 2012
In this episode, I sit down with Observer contributor Saul Elbein and Democratic political consultant Jeff Rotkoff to tackle Texas voter turnout. For this month’s [...] Full Story
Observer Podcast Episode 17: The Aftermath of Brian ClaunchOct 03, 2012
In this episode, we examine the tragic death of Brian Claunch, a Houston man and double amputee who lost the limbs on his left [...] Full Story
Viva Los TraficantesSep 21, 2012
In 2012, Tucson, AZ removed dozens of ethnic studies books from classrooms. Here are the books by Texas authors. Full Story
Observer Podcast Episode 16: So You Want to Write a Short StorySep 18, 2012
Another episode of the Observer podcast is on the books. No, seriously, it’s about books. I sat down with Observer Fiction Editor David Duhr [...] Full Story
Observer Podcast Episode 15: Julian Castro’s DNC SplashSep 07, 2012
Did we end episode 14 with a promise of a new episode in two weeks? Scrap that. Observer editor Dave Mann and staff writers Forrest [...] Full Story